THE CENTRAL Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) of the GAA have indicated they will try to avoid fixing the National Football League Division One final between Kerry and Derry in a direct clash with the Munster-Saracens European Cup rugby semi-final.
Details of all the Football League finals won't be decided until next Monday, as the finalists in the other three divisions have yet to be confirmed. But according to CCCC chair Jimmy Dunne the question of a potential effect on attendances will be considered.
"One thing we'll definitely be taking into account is the rugby match," he said yesterday evening. "We don't feel it's appropriate to set up a direct clash of fixtures like that because of the number of supporters who'd have an interest in sport across the board."
Asked whether the committee would consider staging some of the finals under lights on a Saturday, Dunne wasn't sure such a move would be acceptable to all of the counties involved and said that the problem was exacerbated by not knowing the identity of the finalists in Divisions Two, Three and Four.
"We had pencilled in the dates for the league finals for Sunday the 27th, so we would have to have discussions with the counties involved if we're to change that. But the question of Saturday night matches will be looked at."
There would also be a question of the revenue stream, as the GAA has had experience of staging matches in the face of major television sports events and it always has an effect on attendances. Two years ago the Galway-Kerry Football League final drew only 7,598 to Limerick after it had been fixed for the early evening of the day of the Munster-Leinster European Cup rugby semi-final.
A National Hurling League fixture between Limerick and Tipperary attracted little over 1,000 spectators when fixed in a direct clash with the 2005 Ireland-England Six Nations rugby match.
In March 2003, the then fixtures authority, the GAC, decided to switch an entire programme of league matches from Sunday to Saturday to avoid a clash with that season's grand slam meeting, again between Ireland and England.
Details of next Sunday's Hurling League final were confirmed by the CCCC yesterday. As expected, Tipperary and Galway will meet in Limerick's Gaelic Grounds. Throw-in will be at 4.15pm, with the Division Two final between Westmeath and Carlow opening the bill at 2.30pm.
On the question of whether the football finals would be organised in double bills, Dunne said such an arrangement mightn't be feasible.
"It was at the back of our minds that we'd organise double bills if necessary, but it depends completely on the counties. We don't want any county on a double bill to have to undertake an unreasonably long journey, so that mightn't be practical."
• The Leinster Council offices will be shut from close of business tomorrow until 9.30am next Monday to facilitate a move of premises to 2 Park Villas, Portlaoise, Co Laois.
